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Children’s book of the week – You Choose by Nick Sharratt and Pippa Goodhart

A fantastic book for firing up the imagination, You Choose is different every time you read it.

Filled with bright and colourful illustrations, each double page asks a question such as where would you live, who would your family and friends be, what would you eat, and invites you to choose from the various pictures.

One day you could be living in a castle on a desert island, be friends with a wolf and a leprechaun and eat jelly for tea. The next you could travel on a double decker bus, wearing a flamenco dress, accompanied by your pet zebra, on your way to your job as archaeologist. There are no rights or wrongs in this book; you choose and create your own story each time, letting imagination and fun outweigh convention and reality.

Originally recommended to us by a friend, I’ve loved seeing my children grow with this book. Eight year old Little Miss E, for example, has gone from the stereotypically girlie princess style choices to more wacky and creative options, creating her own quirky scenarios and stories and making her brothers laugh with the absurdity of it all.

You Choose is a great book for developing vocabulary and we have had some fascinating discussions on different jobs, historical artefacts and famous world landmarks. It helps children develop empathy and understanding while thinking about how other people might live. It’s also great for their listening and interaction skills while other members of the family are making their choices.

You Choose is a wonderful book, loved by all members of our family. It’s great for encouraging interaction and discussion and making children realise the world is full of endless possibilities.

And if you like it, there’s also You Choose In Space and Just Imagine, plus associated colouring/sticker books.

You Choose by Nick Sharratt and Pippa Goodhart, published by Random House, £6.99 RRP.